The Queensland Rugby Union's seventh annual Indigenous Round was launched today with the unveiling of the St.George Queensland Reds' Indigenous jersey - to be worn this Friday against the Sunwolves at Suncorp Stadium - as the centrepiece of the QRU's NAIDOC Week celebrations.

The program seeks to identify young Indigenous leaders from remote communities and mentor them from school years 6-10, ensuring they display positive behaviour and attend school.

Samantha is a proud Butchulla woman. The Butchulla people are the Traditional Owners of K'gari (Fraser Island). She is currently a Special Education (& Well Being) Teacher Aide at Woorabinda State School.

"The Reds Future Indigenous Leaders Program is outstanding, and I can see how my three children are benefitting from being part of it - which will certainly help them in the future.

"This design was created to represent that all roads lead to home. With the hands as the central element, representing how family is at the core of every home. The warm colours represent the earth we stand on the dots represent different places across Australia, the animals represent bush food in Woorabinda and other communities, and the lines visually demonstrate that no matter where you go, you always come home.

"My first experience of Rugby Union was playing for the Maryborough Wallaroos and playing for Maryborough High School around the same time," Samantha said.

In recognition of her artwork, Samantha has also received a bursary from the Queensland Government's Office of the Commonwealth Games.

Minister for the Commonwealth Games, Kate Jones, said Samantha was a very well-deserving winner of the Indigenous Round Jersey competition said: "Samantha will also receive a bursary co-funded under the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Embracing 2018 Legacy Program. This funding will be used to establish a community art program in Woorabinda which will no doubt inspire the next generation of Indigenous artists."

The St.George Bank will also present Samantha with a $500 cheque on match-day to assist in kick-starting her future community projects.

Samantha Booth said: "I'm extremely proud and grateful to receive this bursary from the Queensland State government and also the kind donation from the St.George Bank. I plan to use the money to fund more painting projects and also a community art program, which I've been planning to set up for some time - so this bursary will benefit our whole community."

The 2018 Reds Indigenous Round comes just over a year after Queensland Rugby Union launched its Reconciliation Action Plan.

The Queensland Reds Future Indigenous Leaders Program is made possible through the support of Rio Tinto. Reds Generation Next is supported by the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The Indigenous Round match will also see the awarding of the Frank Ivory Medal to the Reds player of the match. The medal is named after Queensland's first Indigenous player.

The Indigenous Round match-day jerseys will be auctioned at www.redsrugby.com.au to raise funds for the Queensland Reds Indigenous Program.

This week, 85 children aged between 11 and 17 from the Central and Northern Queensland communities of Yarrabah, Woorabinda and Cherbourg have taken part in the QRU Future Indigenous Leaders and Reds Generation Next Camp at Nudgee College.

The Camp involves all program participants travelling to Brisbane from their respective communities and schools for this event that includes a full range of projects and activities, which aims to grow participants' learning. The Camp culminates in all the children attending Friday's Reds' game, where they will form a tunnel before the game and play Rugby during the half-time interval.

The St.George Queensland Reds play the Sunwolves at Suncorp Stadium this Friday 13 July at 7:45pm AEST. Tickets are available at www.redsrugby.com.au. The match will also be broadcast live on Fox Sports.